Re-elected as leader of Pastef-Les Patriotes, Ousmane Sonko delivered an emotional speech filled with references to the years of confrontation between his party and the then-government. Addressing delegates gathered in Diamniadio, he revisited what he considers the formative trials that forged the movement's identity. According to him, the crisis that led to the emergence of Pastef went far beyond the traditional political sphere.

"This crisis was not only institutional. It was also moral, cultural and historical," he said, believing that Senegal, like other African nations, was called upon to "invent its own historical path."

The story of a resistance

During a lengthy segment of his speech, Sonko recounted the most difficult years his party had endured. He mentioned the arrests, legal proceedings, smear campaigns, restrictions on civil liberties, and the administrative dissolution of Pastef, which had plunged the movement into a period of uncertainty.

Addressing the delegates, he paid tribute to the activists who, according to him, maintained the party's momentum despite the obstacles. "For many months, despite the dissolution, the imprisonments, the exile of leaders, and the arrests of activists, the party continued to exist," he affirmed. In his account, this survival was built on the commitment of activists in neighborhoods, villages, universities, the diaspora, and online spaces.

"Hope does not dissolve."

One of the most applauded parts of the speech came when he addressed the lifting of the dissolution order in 2024. For Sonko, this period has demonstrated that the popular support of a political movement transcends its administrative existence. "You can dissolve a party on paper, but you cannot dissolve hope," he declared to enthusiastic applause from the audience. This statement, intended to be a defining characteristic of this first ordinary congress, encapsulates, according to party leaders, the spirit of resilience that has characterized Pastef throughout the years of crisis.

A tribute to Senegalese youth

The re-elected president of Pastef also devoted a significant portion of his speech to Senegalese youth. He addressed the economic hardships, unemployment, irregular migration, tragedies at sea and in the desert, and the social frustrations that have fueled the mobilization of many young people in recent years. According to him, between 2021 and 2024, Senegal underwent a major political shift.

“The people have ceased to be a mere electorate and have become active political actors,” he argued. In this dynamic, Sonko sees the emergence of a new civic consciousness that has enabled the direct involvement of large segments of the population in national political life.

The victories of 2024 as a culmination

Referring to the 2024 electoral successes, the leader of the Patriots rejected the idea of mere coincidence. For him, these results are the culmination of years of mobilization, organization, and sacrifices made by the party's activists and supporters. Drawing on the teachings of Thomas Sankara, he reminded everyone that a conscious and organized people constitutes a historical force that is difficult to contain indefinitely.